1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multipurpose connector for the connection of enteral transfer systems to storage containers, in particular to nutrient and balancing liquid containers. The multipurpose connector includes three different distal connectors disposed concentrically in one another and coaxially to one another for the connection of enteral transfer systems to storage containers having differently designed openings. The multipurpose connector can be used in enteral feeding both in pump-assisted systems and in gravity controlled systems. The invention also relates to a set having at least one such multipurpose connector. The invention furthermore relates to the use of the multipurpose connector or of a set having at least one such multipurpose connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
If a patient is no longer able to ingest or swallow food due to a disease, the most important nutrients can be supplied to him in liquid form via a feed probe.
The feed probe is either guided temporarily through the nose into the stomach or into the small intestine or it is permanently placed in the stomach or small intestine via a small puncture site through the abdominal wall. A transfer system connects the feed probe to the nutrient and balancing liquid container.
The transfer system comprises a tube with or without a drip chamber, a distal connector for connection to the enteral storage container and a proximal connector to the feed probe.
The enteral nutrient solution or balancing liquid is stored in containers, flasks or bags whose openings are admittedly normed or at least standardized, but which can be of different designs. The following are common inter alia: wide-mouth containers, for example containers or bottles made of glass or plastic with wide-mouth threads and additional aluminum or plastic protective foils, furthermore narrow-mouth containers such as crown cap bottles with a mouthpiece in accordance with DIN 6094 made of glass or hard plastic, and flexible containers such as pre-filled plastic bags with a puncture port.
The differently shaped storage container openings also require different, respectively adapted connectors for connection to the transfer system. The provision of different connectors adapted to the respective storage container type, however, increases the costs and moreover results in an increased handling effort such as the necessity of the laborious location of a suitable connector, of storage and of changing the connector during the application.
An adapter for the connection of enteral transfer systems is known from EP 0 355 795. The adapter is made of plastic and has two caps arranged coaxially to one another and having different opening diameters. However, the integration of a spike is lacking so that an additional connector with a transfer system is necessary for connection to the primary package containers made as bags or plastic containers with a port connector used in more than 50% of cases in enteral applications. The positioning of the vent valve at the inner side of the connector or in the interior of the nutrition and balancing liquid container is furthermore disadvantageous since blockages and a subsequent stop of conveying flow can occur.
A universal connector is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,204 to which containers having three different opening diameters can be connected, with a spike representing one of the connection possibilities. A vent opening is, however, lacking in this known connector so that it is not suitable for use on rigid containers. The connector can furthermore not be directly connected to a transfer system, but can only be screwed into a wide-mouth bottle system.
A universal bottle closure is known from EP 0 711 538 having two differently sized coaxially arranged caps. The caps are made of different materials. The missing spike, on the one hand, and the riser tube integrated for the venting, on the other hand, are disadvantageous here. The latter makes it necessary that test liquid still remains in the container after the application.